ROLE SIMULATION IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION: SOME ISSUES AND DEVELOPMENTS

The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) is a principal producer of instructional simulations for preparing educational administrators. The most recent simulation product of the Council is the Monroe City Simulation, parts of which are currently being disseminated and other parts of which are still in various stages of planning and development. The authors describe in this article five generic issues which UCEA simulation developers have had to resolve and which continue to face others engaged in similar kinds of development work. The issues described include those of (1) the use of theoretical vs. empirical models, (2) realism, (3) bias, (4) complexity and (5) learning effects.